Period of Transition
by con2020tran
Summary: *Completed* Hotaru and Chibiusa have each other on their minds, but it's difficult to ignore that voice calling for more.
1. Chapter 1

_**Period of Transition  
**__**Chapter I**_  
_**  
**__**Focus: **Hotaru/Chibiusa._  
_**Timeline: **Parallel Universe. Takes place before _To Love the Light_.  
__**Summary: **Hotaru and Chibiusa have each other on their minds, but it's difficult to ignore that voice calling for more.__**  
Disclaimer: **I do not own Bishoujo Sensei Sailormoon or any of the recognizable characters in this fiction. Direct all fan-love to Takeuchi Naoko._

* * *

When does one learn? That special word, capable of changing all around you and disrupting that delicate flow of unfamiliarity? I had never thought that such a rare and hidden word would slip so constantly into my mind and beg to be sounded. Since when did such an urge arise and conquer my days and nights? I've always been an impersonal character, talked only when talked to, and unwilling to contribute to the soul searching of others. Their words seemed so distant from my world and, by the time I realized that my wish was to sing along in unison, their voices had faded far away. Everyone had settled into a group to call their own and I had early forced myself from the masses. Years rose and fell quickly and I learned to sit comfortably in the silence, living schools days as the one not easily approached.

Why? Nothing that day had betrayed the coming of her innocent words, the offer of her hand of friendship, so why did both occur? Pity came as an immediate suspect, but she seemed to be one unaffected by such feelings. Her first words were pure, a genuine question about my state of being, and her form did not sway when I provided no answer. She tried several times more to get me involved, but retreated when the teacher entered the room.

"Talk to you later," with a smile and a wave.

I was surprised. Knowing now that I was not interested in playing, why would she invite me for another round? I dismissed the words as a customary parting and turned my focus to the teacher ahead. However, I remember performing poorly on the test that day.

As promised, she returned to me, filled with life and speech. Her smile was unwavering and she tried again to strike up a conversation. One-sided it was, but that did not stop her from babbling enthusiastically and exposing the workings of her mind. I remember the tinge of relief that rushed through me when, upon the bell's call, she returned to her seat without a guarantee of return.

The next morning, just before the start of class. I found her waiting near my desk. Her persistence was a bother but for some reason I could not bring myself to turn her away. I could not turn away someone who threw herself at my mercy for the sake of a few words. She was the first person in years to do so.

For a while, our days continued in this fashion―her talking endlessly while I listened―until I finally made a contribution. I don't remember how long it took for me to do so, but I do remember how she smiled. An off-handed comment had escaped my lips and the sincerity radiating from hers upturned caught me completely off-guard. Her joy was infectious.

From that point on, I looked forward to our encounters.

The rest of the school year flew by and I met a new wave of faces with the coming of spring.

She was not among them.

I tried not to think too much about it.

It was weird, entering my new classroom without that familiar petite figure standing by my designated seat. I hadn't wanted to, but I had grown accustomed to the sight, her company, and I reasoned that because we were no longer in the same class, she had no obligation to meet me.

I was satisfied with this conclusion. That's why I was so surprised to see her at the end of the day. She had been standing outside my classroom, waiting for me, and she was not shy of that fact. She greeted me in that usual cheerful manner of hers and my reply carried a cautious tone. Whether or not she caught it was never addressed, but she quickly latched herself to my arm and started to share vacation stories.

We lapsed into our previous relationship but a nagging voice kept at the back of my head.

"Chibiusa-chan." We were walking down the hall and she looked up in response, always the attentive listener. "Why do you still stick around me? We're not in the same class anymore and I'm sure you have your own duties, responsibilities to tend to. You're the class rep this year again, aren't you?"

She smiled and her fingers interlaced mine, effectively stopping me in my tracks. I was startled by how warm her hand was and perhaps lost myself in the sensation for just a moment. "Is that what you've been thinking this entire time, Hotaru-senpai? I didn't approach you that day because of some class presidential duty. I went up to you because you interested me, and well..."

I remember distinctly how nervous her laughter had been, how red was the shade that adorned her cheeks. Nonetheless, she kept her eyes forward and her voice soft as she said to me:

"I think you're beautiful."

Thinking back on it now, that was probably the moment I fell in love with her.

* * *

_**Note: **Four-part fluff fic! Needs better summary. There's not much to this one except that I wanted to write something that came... well, before _To Love the Light_. Obviously. That fic was something of a new experience for me, writing characters who have already gotten together, so I wanted a story explaining _how _without having to actually start from the very beginning. ...Or I could've just been in a mood for fluff. Is there a problem? :eyes: Go jump in a pit. Full of snakes._

_So... I actually completed this thing some time ago and have half of it hidden somewhere in the depths of my hard drive. Just give me a day or two to edit the next chapter, and a week or so to stop being so lazy and type the rest. Just a request though: If you happen to like this enough to fave it or whatnot, _do_ leave some feedback. I can handle it if you just read and never return, but don't list it as a favourite and not review. I realize I sound a little... yeah, but it's all for the sake of keeping my sanity. You all want me to stay sane, right? :nervous laugh: Well, regardless of whether you review or not, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and join me for the next._

_**Written: **May 2007 - October 2007._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Period of Transition  
Chapter II**_

* * *

When does one learn? That special word, so powerful and everlasting in its delivery, certain to take you in its wings and lift you above the clouds. The urge to sound it out has always been with me, that need to express my overwhelming and overbearing emotions. I have always been a romantic type of person, the result of having been brought up by parents with strong ideals regarding love. I allowed myself to accept everyone and that they embraced me in return gave me a sense of responsibility--security even. It wasn't long before my peers elected me their class representative and continued to do so for the years to come. They counted on me, relied on me, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it.

She was by no means a new face to me, but she stood out exceptionally that year. Maybe it was because her self-imposed isolation had attracted so much gossip that I started taking notice of her, started watching her...

Started to fall for her.

How do such feelings come about in the first place? My parents have taught me many things, but never how it could be identified. I didn't recognize, couldn't understand that the desire welling up in my chest was love. I didn't realize it until it was much too late.

Etched into memory is her expression, one of slight surprise when it registered that I was speaking to her. She didn't talk much though, during that first meeting, so I doubled--tripled my efforts at the next. I'm not sure how many days--how many weeks passed full of one-sided conversations before she finally said something:

"Chocolate is overrated."

Okay, an extremely trivial comment, but I must have grinned like an idiot because she blushed the most adorable shade of red. Don't ask how a shade can be adorable. The point is that there's nothing more pleasing to the eye than the sight of the girl you like flustered.

I savoured every moment.

The rest of the year flew by and the sakura blossoms did not hesitate to sweep her away from me.

She over-consumed my thoughts that day, captured my sanity, tore at my heart. Maybe--just maybe--that day opened my eyes to the truth I'd mentioned earlier: I had fallen much too hard for the girl.

I sought her out immediately.

Confusion dominated her features when she caught sight of me, but I paid it no heed and latched onto her arm instead. It was comforting, bliss, to be in her company again and the feeling hesitated not to overwhelm my chest.

Tomoe Hotaru soon realized that our relationship was not restricted to the classroom and asked me about it one day. Hotaru, the girl who had avoided friendship for so long had finally been touched by me and I was not about to let go.

My fingers had slipped between hers and she stopped with a jerk, obviously a stranger to the sensation. "Is that what you've been thinking this entire time, Hotaru-senpai? I didn't approach you that day because of some class presidential duty; I went up to you because you interested me, and well..."

I trailed off, an uneven laugh stuck in my throat and a warmness blooming on my face. I caught her wavering gaze and gave her a reassuring smile. "I think you're beautiful."

She quickly turned her eyes. "That's a silly reason," she mumbled, her words a strain to the ears. I was pleased, though, to see that she had not let go of my hand.

She's been more open since then, more socially outward, and I feel an incredible sense of honour to be on the receiving end of her fluttering concerns, despairs, and joys. I catch her every scent, every tear, every radiant smile, and yet my heart hungers for more. I'm blind to specifics but I know that this friendship, this teasing friendship, does me little justice.

I love her. I want her. And I want her to know exactly how I feel. Regardless of the consequences.

* * *

_**Note: **__Things happened, mainly me getting sick, so that's why this chapter didn't come out a week like promised. The sad part is that I didn't even do a lot of editing so I actually don't have much of an excuse. I'd like to extend a big thank you to my reviewers. :) Knowing that others like this story encourages me a lot. __I'll try to aim for a week for the next chapter too, but let's see when I'll have time to type it. :sigh: Writer's Craft is cutting too deeply into writing time. _

_**Written:**_ _October 2007 - November 2007_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Period of Transition  
Chapter III**_

* * *

"I'm always coming over to your class, aren't I?"

"You always dart over here as soon as class is over."

Chibiusa leaned over the desk to prop herself up by the elbows. "You've got a point there. Then again, if I left it up to you, I'd be waiting forever." A smile most innocent and sweet was directed at her friend and she was rewarded with a little bop to the head. She rubbed the spot with a laugh and pulled herself back up to a standing position. "Do you wanna get lunch?"

Having just finished packing the rest of her stuff, Hotaru nodded and matched her elevation. She decided to return Chibiusa's smile after all. "Do they have anything new on the menu today?"

"Oh, you know that menu hasn't changed in forever," the shorter girl said dismissively, moving to loop her arm through Hotaru's. "It's just the same old melon bread, yakisoba bread stuff. I hear that they're trying for some new cotton candy type thing."

Hotaru looked surprised. "You sure? That doesn't sound like the best idea for a lunch."

"They were discussing the possibilities at the last student council meeting. I can speak on your behalf if you don't like it."

A smirk. "Whatever happened to representing your class?"

"Hotaru-senpai always comes first."

"That isn't the best attitude for a class president to adopt."

"You'd be surprised with the kinds of stuff I can get away with," the pink-haired girl answered with a grin, and was about to spew out a list when she was interrupted by a voice.

"You sure do come here a lot, don't you, Chibiusa-chan?"

Momoko sauntered over to her friends and made a big show of bending over to observe the tangle of arms between them. "I see you've attached yourself to our little Hotaru-chan again." She looked up and shoved an imaginary microphone into the air. "Hotaru-chan, how do you manage?"

"Hey, hey, hey!" Chibiusa cried, pushing away the fist and pulling Hotaru closer to her. "What do you mean 'our Hotaru-chan'? She belongs to _me_! And another thing, I don't approve of your rudeness." To reinforce her point, she stuck out her tongue and the intentional hypocrisy earned a nervous chuckle from her partner.

Momoko smirked knowingly. "Possessive, aren't we?"

"Only if provoked."

"Don't mind her; she's usually more tame than this," reassured Hotaru. She turned to Chibiusa. "By the way, whoever said that I belonged to you?"

The smile, overly sweet and innocent, returned. "Weren't we going to get lunch?"

"Avoiding the question, are we?"

Momoko sighed and clasped a hand on Hotaru's shoulder. "I feel sorry for you. By the way, mind if I tag along?"

"Yes, Momo-chan," Chibiusa said dryly. "Go for an indirect insult and _then _ask to join us. Well, guess what? No." Changing her tone with ease, she turned from Momoko and eagerly began pulling toward the door. "C'mon, Hotaru-senpai. Let us leave this mean person."

Hotaru tapped her lightly on the head, a playful scowl on her lips. "You're not being very nice yourself, Chibiusa-chan." She looked back at Momoko. "You're more than welcome to join us."

"See? Hotaru-chan's nice." The trio proceeded out the door and began making their way down to the school store with Chibiusa clinging onto Hotaru the whole time. With a front row seat to the sight, Momoko could not help but sigh. "What's the big deal anyways? You always have her to yourself. "

"You're in her class," the pink-haired girl pointed out.

"I don't attach to her arm for all eternity."

"I don't particularly mind," Hotaru interjected meekly.

"I haven't seen her in forever!"

"You were talking with her just this morning!"

Chibiusa paused. "I was?"

Momoko laughed as she opened the door, its slight screech an indication of its need for oil. "The signs of a love-stricken teenager, huh?"

Chibiusa suddenly felt Hotaru stiffen beside her. She glanced up, watched her lips move in defense but heard none of it. It stung, wounded slight, how easily the other girl brushed it off. She had to fight down the urge to tell her right then that she was on her mind much too often, but she grimaced internally, reminding herself that it was neither the time nor the place for such words.

"Chibiusa-chan?"

She blinked and pulled herself back to reality. She looked up at Hotaru and took in her worried expression. "Yeah?"

"You went quiet all of a sudden." A hand reached over to feel her forehead. "You're not coming down with something, are you?"

Chibiusa gently displaced the hand and smiled. "Don't be such a worrywart."

Momoko looked up from her armful of melon bread, face suddenly carved with suspicion. "Don't tell me I'm actually right."

Of everything, to have her feelings revealed in this fashion was an injustice to both herself and Hotaru. She adopted a laugh and stared pointedly at the bread. "And don't tell me you plan to eat all of that! You'd better be sure to watch your weight."

Momoko turned a brilliant shade of red; the distraction was an immediate success. "No, they're not all for me! I was just doing something nice and you had to go and...!" She made a frustrated noise and stormed out into the hallway, catching glances from people who made the same accusation. The girls didn't do much about it though, knowing that they would find her waiting patiently for them in their usual spot underneath the trees.

"She's great, isn't she?"

"Yeah." A pause. "Hey, Hotaru-senpai?"

"You're still on that?"

Chibiusa laughed. "I have to stay after school for a while to discuss a little project, so would you mind waiting for me?"

"You know I wouldn't." But the soft smile faded quickly and an apprehensive light danced across her eyes. "Um, Chibiusa-chan, about that... I..."

"Yeah?"

Hotaru opened her mouth, but when nothing came out she just sighed and shook her head. "Never mind. Let's go."

* * *

When she was finally ready to leave, the sun had just begun to streak the sky orange. She waved a goodbye to her fellow group members and they acknowledged the motion with words before leaving. Instead for following them to the exit, Chibiusa opted to turn to the hall opposite and slip into the adjacent room as nonchalantly as possible. However, her foot didn't even make it past the doorway.

There the girl lay, her head rested elegantly atop clothed arms. Her ebony hair sprawled over her desk and curtained the naturally pale tone of skin. The eyes in which Chibiusa loved to lose herself resisted the last rays of light so instead it chose to embrace her form, purifying the already angelic image.

Chibiusa forced herself to let go of the breath she had been holding, forced down the heart that had leapt and caught in her throat. Slowly, she finally entered the room and made her way over to her friend's seat. The other girl did not notice her presence and Chibiusa took the opportunity to bend over and push aside the curtains. Her heart ached when she saw her face, the beauty that she had denied herself for so long, but she closed her eyes before she entertained the thoughts dancing about in her head.

She circled around so that she stood behind Hotaru, could see her back rise and fall with each intake of breath. A smile played lightly on her lips and she bent over again, this time stretching her arms out and wrapping them snuggly around the sleeping girl's form. She rested her head on Hotaru's and closed her eyes, relishing the scent of her hair. She could feel her even breaths against her chest, hear them with a little strain, and Chibiusa did her best to adjust.

She stayed in this position for a while, glad for the warmth the girl provided and when rubies peeked out again, the sun had dyed itself red. Stained clouds were slowly being shepherded by the darkness yet the sun struggled brilliantly to keep it at bay with shades of purple and red. The colours illuminated the floor before her and Chibiusa decided that if she didn't do something, her friend, like a princess in a fairy tale, would sleep forever. '_A princess, huh?' _Still, she was loathe to move from comfort and was therefore surprised when Hotaru shifted beneath her, a name on her lips.

"Chibiusa-chan..."

Amused, Chibiusa pulled back and placed her mouth behind the girl's ear. Her breath brushed past as she responded, "Hotaru-senpai."

For the second time that day, she felt the other girl tense up. Hotaru slowly slid into a proper sitting posture and Chibiusa adjusted with ease. The girl didn't turn around though, choosing instead to send out an inquiring voice. "Chibiusa-chan?"

She smiled. "You were calling?"

"How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough."

"You didn't try to wake me up?"

"This is more comfortable," Chibiusa admitted, placing her head on Hotaru's shoulder. "Do you mind if we stay like this a little longer?" She noticed a sudden increase in heat, a sudden awareness of a heartbeat, and she could not determine from whom it originated.

Hotaru stayed silent for a while. "We should be going home. It's getting late." To reinforce her point, she stood, barely giving Chibiusa enough time to release her hold and back away. She tried to catch her expression, but Hotaru had bent to retrieve her bag and came back smiling. "Shall we go?"

Chibiusa fought the sense of loss and returned the favour. "Sure." She wanted to confirm her friend's feelings but lately―especially when they were confronted with no one but each other―Hotaru would try to drift off in some way. What were the thoughts running through her mind?

The hallway had adopted more shadow and now glowed a deep red. The girls walked in this light, side-by-side. The absolute silence distressed Chibiusa. Where were the animated words that usually filled this space? The unhesitant discussions about issues both academic and personal? She couldn't stand that she'd allowed their relationship to regress to this point. She longed for the days when they spoke freely to each other, the days their hands would naturally find each other without this weird atmosphere hovering in-between. What had changed between them? What had occurred to make everything so difficult? Or, was it difficult _because _nothing had changed, nothing had happened to provoke change?

Chibiusa grabbed Hotaru's hand on an impulse, fitted herself in those usual groves between her fingers. She could see the tension run its course through her body, contorting her face with a frowning brow.

"Chibiusa-chan?"

"It's nothing," she assured her. "It's just that we haven't held hands in so long, you know? I've kinda missed it, being with you like this."

"Is that all?" Hotaru had tipped her head back towards the shadows.

She did not want them to lose each other like this. "No, that's not even the start of it."

The shock wave passed through her as Hotaru fell back into the wall, but she did not pause to recover for fear that she would not follow through with her actions. Leaning into her, Chibiusa pulled herself upwards just a bit to make up for the space between their lips. There were no fireworks, no major epiphany novels always elaborate on, just the hammering of her own heart. She didn't dare open her eyes, not until the kiss was over and she had eased herself off the other girl and moved a step away.

She was seeing a lot of red, and she couldn't tell how much of it was the light. A nervous laugh escaped her and she tried a hopeful smile, though she wasn't sure where she was supposed to keep her eyes. "I like you, Hotaru-chan, and I don't mean in that casual way girls usually say these things." She took a calming breath and blushed as she repeated her words. "I really like you." Chibiusa tried to focus her gaze upwards but Hotaru was still pressed up against the wall, still hidden in the shadows, and she couldn't see anything.

She had been taught that love was capable of conquering all, strong enough to reduce even the strongest enemy to a pitiful fraction, but then why did it have to fill her with such unease? It would've been better, she realized, to have received a flat-out rejection than to endure this uncertainty.

Chibiusa smiled as best she could. "I'm sorry for telling you so out-of-the-blue, Hotaru-chan, but I... suppose I..." The smile faltered and her sentence was left to fade into obscurity. She looked away quickly, unable to look at the other girl without a blur in her eyes, and mentally belittled herself for making the situation more awkward than it was before. Was this the price of falling in love? It was too difficult to accept.

"I... have to... go," she finally managed and backed away, wanting for the first time nothing more than to get away from Tomoe Hotaru. She turned and hastened her steps, willing herself hold back the flood of emotion. Chibiusa bit her lip to keep it from trembling and broke out into a run, leaving behind the girl with amethyst eyes. The girl whose only answer was silence.

* * *

_**Note: **__Editing this chapter was a little weird, especially considering that this is different from my current style of writing. The contrast in mood between the first and second halves still throws me off, but I like to think of it as them having no distractions when alone so they can't help but think about their situations. Yup, that's my lame excuse so I don't have to rewrite the chapter. Then again, I'd really rather _not _rewrite something I finished and was satisfied with a year ago (because then I'd probably be scrapping a big chunk of the second half). Let's maintain some sense of 2007 in it, shall we? __As always, reviews are neat ways to critique and encourage. Last chapter will be out in a week or sooner, depending on circumstances._

_**Written:**_ _November 2007 - November 23 2007. _


	4. Chapter 4

_**Period of Transition  
Chapter IV**_

* * *

Tomoe Hotaru's room was usually dark. She always assumed that she got it from her father, overenthusiastic scientist that he was, and his practice of working with little to no light. She herself wasn't too fond of the way it glared in your face, nosed its way into the most insignificant of corners and exposed your faults for all to see. If highlighted too long, it blinded and forced you to stumble through the rest of life without so much as a map. It always did that―imprinted itself on you and left you to your own design.

Chibiusa had done the same.

'_She told me that she liked me..._'

And it was up to Hotaru which road she wanted to take.

The answer was obvious.

How many months had passed since she recognized the feeling? Since the girl inherited monopoly over her thoughts and accepted no offer to return them? She'd acknowledged long ago that she was interested in Chibiusa romantically and so often had she entertained different scenarios in which shewas the one to confess. She never dwelt too long on the idea that Chibiusa would feel the same way, but she remembered that there was supposed to be an enthusiastic reaction on her part and a declaration of mutual affection.

Why, then, did she have to do the stupid thing and stare wordlessly at the other girl?

'_I must've hurt her badly..._'

It hurt to think about it. She could still remember that strained smile, the way the cheerful voice trembled, the despair reflected in those orbs. They were foreign invaders that had no right to association, and the mere thought that Hotaru herself had invited them tore her up inside.

'_I never wanted to hurt her..._'

Neither could she turn back time.

"Chibiusa..." she groaned, flinging her forearm from her eyes to stare into nothingness. The ceiling took a while longer to come back into focus and when it did, Hotaru sighed wearily and rolled onto her side. The phone sat directly in her line of sight, placed conveniently by her bed, mocking her in the darkness with a faint outline. Although Hotaru never had a problem with this impairment before, it bothered her now that she couldn't see the full picture of her room; she was missing out on so much.

An impulse gripped the girl and before she knew what she was doing, the nearby lamp had been turned on, the handset clutched in her hand, and her fingers pounding in the 10-digit sequence from memory. She hesitated on the last number, however, when Chibiusa's wavering face came to mind. Was it too soon to call her? Didn't she need to give her some time first to calm down? ...No, that wasn't right. '_That time has already been given to _me_. My role is to give her an answer, and it'll be worse the longer I draw it out._' Hotaru took a deep breath and hit the final key; she was a novice at this stuff after all.

The other side picked up after a few rings. "Hello, Tsukino residence."

She recognized the voice immediately. "Good evening, Tsukino-san. I'm sorry for calling this late, but this is Hotaru―" The loud squeal that erupted from the receiver forced her to hold it at arm's length. Despite herself, Hotaru chuckled nervously; the older woman was known to be a little enthusiastic at times.

"Hotaru-chan?! Is this really Hotaru-chan?! Wow, we haven't talked in so long! How have you been doing? How's your Dad? Have you been getting along with your classmates? I know you're a bright girl and everything, but you have to remember to have some fun every once in a while. And what's up with the 'Tsukino-san'? I told you to call me 'Usagi'; any friend of Chibiusa's is a friend of―" Her rambles were cut off by a high pitched scream, followed immediately by a clattering of pots and pans, the spilling of liquid. "Mamo-chan! Mamo-chan! It's burning! Dinner's on fire! It's on fire! Mamo-chan!"

The smoke detector suddenly began blaring loudly from the receiver and hurrying footsteps declared Chiba Mamoru's arrival; splashing meant the presence of water. When the danger had passed, she heard the concern in his tone as he gently chastened and shooed her out of the kitchen, adamant to keep her from the dangers of culinary. Hotaru couldn't help a smile when she pictured the endearing scene.

"Sorry you had to hear that," Usagi said sheepishly. She was probably in the living room by now.

"It's okay. You were making dinner, Usagi-san?"

"Or at least _trying _to, but you heard for yourself how that turned out." The woman sighed. "Mou, I don't know why Mamo-chan never trusts me in the kitchen. You should've seen how quickly he burst from the other room; he was just _waiting _for me to do something wrong."

"You know that Mamoru-san's just worried about you."

"Of course, but I have to learn this stuff on my own some time. But enough about me, I wanna hear about you. How's school? Chibiusa usually goes on and on about it, but I'd like to hear your version every once in a while. Is it really as great as it sounds? I don't remember school being like that at all."

"She must've found something to look forward to every day," Hotaru answered honestly, though the claim dipped mostly in her favour. It was certainly the reason why her own days no longer seemed to drag, to have that kind smile greeting her at its end. "I'm sorry, but is she there? Chibiusa-chan?"

"Hmm? She hasn't come home yet, if that's what you mean. I thought you were calling to tell me that she's over at your place."

"N-No, she isn't..." A quick glance at the clock revealed it to be a little over two hours since they parted. Chibiusa should've returned home a long time ago, even with time set aside for some solitary pondering. Hotaru's chest tightened as she thought about the other girl, suffering alone underneath the merciless night sky and contemplating impossible things; she would hate herself forever if anything happened to her.

"That's weird," Usagi mused. "She's usually home a few minutes after you two split. Didn't you walk her home today?"

"I'm sorry, Usagi-san!" she blurted out suddenly, and that released a dam of emotion. "I didn't want to, but I hurt her. Badly. It was wrong of me to take her for granted like that, to... to do that to her. I never wanted to. It's the last thing I would ever do to her. Believe me."

"What happened?"

The genuine concern in Usagi's voice almost brought tears to her eyes but just as she was about to speak her heart out, Hotaru's thoughts abruptly turned to the pink-haired girl. She couldn't tell Usagi what she failed to tell Chibiusa, couldn't just leave it as a message for her to return to; it would be doing a great injustice to the girl who'd possessed the courage to confess. "I'm sorry, Usagi-san, but I can't."

Usagi sighed, but the tone of it indicated an understanding. "Well, I suppose there are some things you can't open up to me about, although I _do _remind you that I'm here whenever you want to talk. I'm not great at giving advice and I don't know what's going on between you two, but I'm sure that if you're sincere, Chibiusa will definitely forgive you. Friends always have their ups and downs―I can't even begin to tell you about all the times I've disagreed with Rei-chan, Ami-chan, Mamo-chan too―but all those experiences have only strengthened our bonds. As for you and Chibiusa, she really likes you and understands that even the best of friends can't see eye-to-eye. If you feel the same way, I'm sure she won't let a misunderstanding break you up."

"Usagi-san..."

Why did it feel like she was smiling through the phone? "Save the issue for tomorrow, when both you and Chibiusa have had a night to calm down and think about what happened. Apologize to her first thing in the morning; you'll see that it'll be alright."

* * *

'_She's avoiding me. I don't blame her, but..._' Hotaru sighed quietly as she watched autumn leaves invade school grounds and twist in dress of brilliant orange. The teacher's monotone drawl failed all tests of appeal, and the girl tried to imagine her problems joining the leaves in flight. How easy that would be! '_But nothing's going to get better if we're just going to continue to ignore each other._' The clock declared it still twenty minutes to lunch and a foot tapped loudly in impatience. The teacher looked up from his lesson and glared her way, effectively stopping the noise. He didn't have the best impression of her that morning, having caught her trying to inch her way next door just before the final bell. '_I have to apologize, but if she's avoiding me, she'll probably be gone by the time I get there._'

Amethysts swept past the old man at the front of the class, his sharp eyes intent on the page being read. She sat on the window side of the room, furthest from the door, second from the front; escape would be no walk in the park. Her gaze shifted when the teacher was prompted to select a new reader, and she did not release her breath until someone else was called. Hotaru looked at the clock again, counted the eighteen minutes left, and slowly began to ease herself out of her seat.

She was a good student―excellent grades, perfect attendance, the right attitude―so this one small act of rebellion was oddly exhilarating. The boy sitting behind her must have surely noticed her movements but he didn't seem to care; his lack of action encouraged her to go through with this until the end. Her heart raced as she passed classmates, some of which who weren't so forgiving and fixed her with weird looks. She ignored them and prayed feverishly that the teacher's pets had something better to do than draw attention to her. Hotaru crept closer to the front, remaining yet miraculously undetected by the teacher. If she was lucky, she could probably sneak out of the classroom without having to―

"Tomoe-san?"

Scratch that. Hotaru sprung forward immediately, a laughter too long contained rising from her stomach. She ran and the man could only look on, stunned to dumbness. By the time he finally found his voice, Hotaru was already out the door.

"TOMOE-SAN!"

She wanted to laugh out loud, but knew it to be a waste of energy when the element of surprise was no longer hers. She turned sharply for the neighboring classroom and almost ripped the door off its track. Her eyes were drawn automatically to her target, standing up at the chalkboard, hand poised over a math equation and her own shot for it. A textbook fell onto the floor and ruby eyes stared up in bewilderment. Caught yet in the moment, Hotaru turned to the equally befuddled teacher and pardoned their absence. Without waiting for an answer, she took off with Chibiusa in tow.

They raced through the hallway, turning corners this and that, climbing up stairs and diving down them, desperate to lose a non-existent pursuer. Hotaru laughed openly now, unable to believe her own absurdity, and glanced back with a smile, taking in the unchanged visage of her best friend. Chibiusa caught the gaze but suddenly lurched forward, prompting Hotaru to twist awkwardly and catch her in her arms. The momentum from the running, however, tilted her balance and they consequently ended up crashing into the floor together.

Hotaru grimaced at the impact, yet still managed an embarrassed laugh. "Sorry to take you out so suddenly."

Chibiusa, whose eyes had closed shut just prior, looked up with a similar blush across her features. "It's okay. A little unexpected, that's all." Her blush darkened and she broke eye contact quickly.

A quick scan revealed unfamiliar territory: a relatively dim hallway lit only by sunlight in some random section of the school. Hotaru faintly wondered whether this was an abandoned wing or something The extra warmth was welcome in view of the cold, hard floor, but when she realized that she was still holding Chibiusa in a tight embrace, Hotaru blushed as well and quickly let go. "I'm sorry, that's―"

"No, it's okay," Chibiusa repeated hurriedly.

The girls untangled themselves and got off the floor, trying to avoid eyes at all times. The high had dissolved and Hotaru did her best not to start fidgeting, concentrated her attention to the other's shoes. It was unbelievable how awkward things had become between them when only twenty-four hours ago their words had been so free and playful. How did it come down to this? Their conflicting affections, being unable to talk about them for who knew how long, and this fracture to their relationship. It didn't make any sense.

"Hey, Hotaru-senpai," Chibiusa began, startling the other girl. But of course, Hotaru reasoned, Chibiusa was never one to just let her thoughts go unfinished. "About yesterday. I apologize for... yesterday. I mean, I'm sorry about that. I just..." She broke off to take a breath, to reorganize her clearly shaken voice. "I'm not expecting you to answer in my favour, or even answer at all. I just wanted to let you know my feelings, that's all. I don't expect us to be anything more than friends, and I can accept that you don't feel the same way. You could always have your own eye on someone else, or maybe you're just not interested in me. You might not be particularly attracted to girls either so there's a conflict there. It's okay though since your friendship means a lot to me. I'm not―"

"You talk a lot."

Chibiusa laughed sheepishly, meeting Hotaru's eyes with a smile. "What an answer. I just confessed to you and you complain that I talk too much? If anything, you should be the one talking endlessly, having pulled me out of class like that."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Hotaru brought a thinking finger to her chin. "Okay, you can keep talking; I like it when you talk. The sound of your voice, actually."

"That's really ambiguous, isn't it?"

"What do you want me to say?" Feeling the tension slip away, Hotaru shared the smile. "Well, I like how you're always there whenever I need you. I like how you're always so kind to those around you, regardless of all else. I like the way you're always ready with a smile, how your eyes light up during conversation. My best times have always been with you."

Chibiusa shifted and traced an arc with her shoe, the light-hearted tone dropping slightly. "Thanks, that means a lot."

Hotaru bit her lip. "No, I'll clarify. I'm sorry, Chibiusa-chan. You caught me off-guard last night and I didn't know how to respond. It didn't help that you ran away right after. I _really_ didn't know what to do then, couldn't decide whether going after you was the right choice or not."

"Yeah. I guess that bit's my fault."

"Well..." The dark-haired girl stepped forward and took Chibiusa's hands, leaned her forehead against hers. She smiled to herself when she saw her cheeks colour. "It was something of a wake-up call, so it wasn't all that bad. Now I know what happens when I don't follow through with my feelings. It was stupid for me to hesitate and for that, I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," laughed Chibiusa, her eyes lighting up playfully. "And was that a confession, or what?"

"Huh? ...Do you _want _me to call it that?"

"Mou, Hotaru-senpai. Didn't you _just_ resolve to follow through with your feelings?"

"Right... Is it too late to take that back?"

"Hotaru-senpai..."

More laughter. "You're right, my bad." Hotaru smiled and looked into Chibiusa's eyes, how reflected in them was the same girl she had come to know and love. That kindness, stubbornness, softness, all shimmering in those beautiful pools of red, and before she knew it Hotaru was bending slightly―hesitantly―to touch her lips. The kiss didn't last very long, however, because as soon as she felt Chibiusa returning it, Hotaru pulled back immediately, heart thundering and a vicious blush smearing her features. "S-S-Sorry! I-I... T-That was―"

"It's alright," assured Chibiusa, not untouched by the colour. "I encouraged it, after all." She glanced down, presumably from embarrassment, but the tugs of a devilish grin were clearly seen at the corner of her lips. "I just never thought Hotaru-senpai could be so bold..."

"B-B-Bold?! I-I didn't..." Hotaru trailed off, remembering her words. Before she could lose her nerve, she wrapped her arms around the smaller girl and felt the blood rush to her head; how she remained on her feet was a question for the times. "I'm sorry, but it's true that I never want you to run away again." Hotaru suddenly released the hold and backed away a step. "Ah, no. I'm sorry about t-that. That came out really weird..." Her eyes darted away frantically. "I won't―"

Chibiusa grabbed the collar of her uniform and cut her off with a kiss. "Hotaru-senpai's silly."

"I'm not used to this, that's why," countered Hotaru, proven with all the blushing. "And what's with the 'senpai' still?"

The shorter girl laughed and took hold of Hotaru's hand. "In any case, you don't need to worry about that at all. If I'm to run now, I'll be sure to run with you." She pulled the other girl forward. "C'mon, lunch's going to start soon and we have to deal with our teachers first. _You_ have an obligation to explain why I was so suddenly dragged out of class. If I get detention because of it, you're suffering with me."

Hotaru resigned herself to fate with a shake of her head "Yeah, yeah..." Yet she smiled. Slowly, she laced their fingers together and was rewarded with a beautiful smile. It was so silly, a simple everyday thing―now worth so much more. The light was indeed overbearing at times but she was certain that she could adjust to it if Chibiusa was there. They still had the rest of their lives to live, and without a doubt were good and bad times going to be part of the package. So much lay ahead of them, but Hotaru felt that as long as they stayed like this, they didn't have to be afraid of falling.

"Hey, Hotaru-senpai?"

"Yes, Chibiusa-chan?"

"Do you know the way back to class?"

"...I'm pretty sure it was somewhere... not here." Hotaru reddened when the stunned silence that followed was broken with laughter. "If we get out of the building, we'll find out where we are easily. It's not like we left school grounds or anything."

Chibiusa grinned. "Well, we'd better make a run for it if we're gonna catch them before they call our parents. Try not to let go of my hand!"

Hotaru squeezed it reassuringly. No, she wasn't about to make that mistake again._**

* * *

Note: **Fates, the editing for this one took a lot longer than I thought; that was most definitely _not _within a week. I blame a life wasted at commencement. ...Okay, I admit that I changed a rather large chuck of the original, though I'd like to think that it was for the greater good and not just because I was being picky about wording and sentence structure._

_As mentioned in the first chapter, this story acts like a prequel to _To Love the Light_. One thing I forgot to note in that story was the fact that it kinda spun off of the idea of the girls being in the same year, yet Chibiusa still employed the _senpai _honorific when referring to Hotaru. _Then _came the "Project A" stuff. :dusts off hands: Glad I got that cleared up. Ah, I might extend this universe either back in time or forward, but both ideas are really, really beta. :P_

_Following tradition, I would like to thank my reviewers: Black Caballiere, DavisJes, HitXit, Kaworu, LaCazadora, Lily Topaz, and Magpie085. A special shout-out to Black Caballiere and HitXit for taking the time to comment on each and every chapter. You guys are awesome. Your encouragement was much appreciated and never failed to bring a smile to my face. :) I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed... err, editing it? lol. Well, I remember the writing bit was fun too so everyone wins! Burnt popcorn-tasting oatmeal cookies for everyone! (And that, my friends, is the extent of my culinary skills.)_

_I'm in a race to post "Project A" before I receive a certain mark in Writer's Craft that will allow me to win a bet and gain an art slave. :cackle: Of course, the unveiling of "A" is part of the lose conditions, but I figure that now's as good a time as any to get it up here. lol, or maybe I've been writing nothing but _Sailormoon _these past few months. Has anyone started to tire of me yet? xD_

_**Written: **November 24 2007 - January 09 2008.**  
Edited: **October 12 2008 - October 25 2008._


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